Stability
by TheKarin
Summary: A simple one-shot from Kokonoe's POV. Does her ever-constant scowl really reflect how she feels on the inside? Or is it possible she truly cares for, even relies on, the Red Devil; Iron-Tager?


Stability.

"Tager… Oi, Tager?" Kokonoe peered over her shoulder. When she failed to find the huge beast of a man in her lab, the scientist set down her pen with a huff of distaste. Where was he now? Golden hues narrowing themselves, she pushed herself from her messy desk to take a few steps out. With a quick glance, it was clear that not only was Iron-Tager not in her lab, but he had to have been off in a different part of the whole building. She didn't see him, didn't hear him, and couldn't even feel his presence nearby. She scoffed and began to wander down the empty hallway, constructed to be much larger than a normal walkway, in order to fit certain members of Sector Seven without getting walls smashed in. Not that it helped, at least once a week they had to call in repairs to get the damn halls fixed because someone had stumbled through them by accident. You'd figure one would be more careful. Hmph. And just where the hell was he? Kokonoe's shoes clapped quietly and the sound echoed continuously through the hall as she walked, casting half-assed glances in each room as she passed. There weren't many places he could hide of course, but that would imply he was hiding in the first place. Tager wasn't one to simply disobey orders, or go against Kokonoe's wishes. At least she could count on him with that. So what was so different today?

"Tager?" Kokonoe was getting irritated. A fact made by the angry flick of her short white-tipped ears, and the hasty flick her twin-tails gave every few steps. When she stopped by a room that was occupied, the woman stopped and cocked her hip to the side. The men working immediately stopped, their faces hidden by masks. Not that she needed to see their faces. They were all nameless assistants to her. Disposable, if they did not prove themselves of worth to her and her work. Hell, she'd get rid of them if they even failed to greet her properly. All that mattered was results. Who needed to develop relationships with people who held no real purpose other than bending to her will? Not her, that's for sure.

"Kokonoe-san, hello..." They immediately spouted, voices muffled by the masks they wore. They seemed nervous all of a sudden, making sure to set down their work incase those shaking hands had caused some sort of error. Kokonoe simply acknowledged their presence with a nod, before cutting right to what she wanted, as usual.

"Have either of you seen Tager?" Her voice was short and snipped sharply on the T. The assistants jolted at the sound, and then quickly shook their heads, muttering something about having been there all day, with plenty of "ma'am" and "sorry"s dotted in. "T'ch." The woman bared her fanged teeth and walked away without so much as a goodbye, the metal door sliding shut with a quiet hiss of air. Good for nothing trash, all of them. Why were the only ones she could rely on the ones she'd constructed or enhanced herself? Then again, she always seemed to be losing them in this maze of a building, especially when it was time for a checkup. Tager never seemed too thrilled when Kokonoe paid special attention to him. Mostly because it was to change something, add something or worse yet, take something away. She was never all that serious about those threats. Well…most of the time. But if she couldn't find the bastard, then maybe she'll replace his legs with wheels and switch those damn arms with grappling hooks. The conniving woman snickered quietly at the image that filtered through her mind. No, certainly no; that'd make it more difficult for him to do missions for her. Giving up, Kokonoe snatched her cell phone out and flicked it open. Instead of calling someone, the woman tapped a few buttons in rapid succession until a green-colored grid appeared on the tiny black screen.

"Should have just done this first, genius." She hissed at herself. She knew Tager would probably not answer, mostly due to the fact that he wasn't out on a mission. What did he say last time she tried calling him while he was in the lab, wanting him to bring her some more tea? Something along the lines of 'why don't you just come find me'? or 'It seems like such a hassle'. Asshole. They were her phones, she could use them forever the hell she wanted. Including this. She smirked a bit, scanning her finger along the apparent touch-screen until she could find a blinking red light. Those eyes narrowed themselves again. "What is he doing there?" the woman grumbled to herself, before immediately setting off into a new direction. It wasn't so hard to use cell phones as tracking devices, but it was even easier when she specifically had a system installed to make it easier to find him when he lost himself in Sector Seven's halls. It was more useful back when things were fresh, but over the years this particular add-on had gone forgotten. Good to see at least some things were still useful. She couldn't say the same for the certain Iron-bastard currently hiding…in the gardens?

It wasn't her idea. Apparently Sector Seven needed to brighten their…appearance toward outsiders. Putting a beautiful fountain in the front, and gardens in the back, Kokonoe didn't see the point. Sure it made the building look less ominous, but since when did she give a damn? Besides, all those trees and flowers made the cicadas extremely annoying during the summer. They greeted her the moment she stepped out of the back doors, a heavy buzzing coming in all sorts of directions. And the damn sun seemed even brighter than usual, already enveloping Kokonoe with a sickening wave of warmth under its rays. She hated it out here. So bright and inviting. The scientist was more comfortable in her cold, dark lab with only the buzz of her monitors to lull her into a sense of contentment. The fact that she had to come out here to find that bastard just made it all the more irritating. "Why the hell does he want to be out here?" She grumbled to herself. It hadn't taken her long to find him once she'd gotten far enough outside that the stink of flowers filled her lungs on each intake of breath. Almost too strong, she thought, wriggling her nose against the pollen assaulting her. She had to squint into the sun, but she could still see him. Off in the near distance, well away from the stone sidewalk, Tager's huge body could be seen as clear as day atop a small hill, underneath a tree. It was a weird scene to behold. This monster, with his bulging muscles and huge mechanical arms, perched in an almost relaxed slump against the big tree. If the tree had been smaller, he probably would've broken it under his weight. And yet. It seemed almost nice. What with the sun starting to set just beyond that hill, giving him and the tree an almost silhouetted look. Each time the wind blew; leaves detached themselves from their branches and were sent flying through the air and out of sight. Peaceful.

Before Kokonoe could lose herself in the site, she snapped out of it. What the hell was she doing? Tager wasn't peaceful. He was her tool. A battling machine that did what she wanted, when she wanted. Scoffing, the woman stomped off of the sidewalk and began wandering up the hill. This was probably the most exercise she'd gotten in weeks. Curse you, Tager. Maybe she really will carry out one of those threats when he was sleeping. Then again, maybe not.

"Oi, Tager. Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" She growled softly, coming to a stop when the man's huge body casted a shadow over her, blocking out the setting sun. He turned to eye her, though didn't look a bit sorry that he had made her come out of her hiding place to find him. In fact, he almost looked amused. She scowled at him hard enough to make the expression fade from his big face.

"Forgive me, Kokonoe. But it is nice to get out of the lab every now and then." His deep voice rumbled quietly. "Fresh air is needed every now and then, you know."

Kokonoe scoffed again, and made a point to rub her sleeve underneath her nose, sniffing loudly.

"Yeah, right. You're just lucky I'm not allergic to all this damn pollen. Why are you even out here? I figured I would've found you skulking around the kitchen area or in your room napping." Kokonoe propped her hands onto her hips. In truth, that sounded more like something she would do, and judging by the lift in his eyebrow, Tager was thinking the same thing. Wise as he was, he had not commented on it. Only leaned his big body against the tree to stare back at the setting sun. Kokonoe had no choice but to step around him to see his face, squinting in the sun for a moment until she pivoted to put her back to it. Her small lithe form casting a mere hint of a shadow on the man's outstretched legs. He was staring past her, either thinking of something to say, or too content to speak.

"Haven't you ever stopped to look at the sunset before? It's quite a sight. Here, just look at it." The man gesture with one enormous arm, but Kokonoe didn't bother to turn.

"You know that we'd scheduled a check-up for you. I know you know. Why do you always run away like that? I already said I wasn't going to give you an upgrade…as long as you pass all the tests." Her eyes shifted to mere slits, though her tone was less than threatening. He always did, after all.

"You know I will. I don't understand why you always need to do these checkups. If something goes wrong with my systems, you'll be directly informed before I even realize it, won't you? Isn't that how it works?" His words made her stop, brow furrowing as she scoffed and looked away from him. Yeah it was probably true, but then…maybe she didn't want to admit she didn't know why she felt the need to have weekly check-ups. It was just routine. She didn't need a reason; he wasn't in any position to question her.

"Now I know I am not in any position to question your knowledge, Kokonoe. But couldn't you just let it slide for one day?" His low tone slid passed her muddled thoughts.

"Stop reaching my mind, damnit!" Kokonoe hissed, teeth bared. Tager shifted, but didn't speak. She didn't need to look at him to know he was giving her that curiously empty gaze, confused at what caused such an outburst. Stupid Tager. She was the boss here. So why was he always right? "Don't question me, Tager…What I do is my own business. All you need to do is say Yes Ma'am like all the others and do as I wish." She snipped, arms folding over her chest. Tager had fallen into an obedient silence, for a long couple of minutes. Though, just as she expected, the low mumble came from him finally.

"Yes ma'am."

Those two words hung in the air as silence grew. Leaving the two of them to listen to the wind blow through the leaves and the grass, sifting through Kokonoe's hair so that it brushed off of her shoulders. She took a slow inhale, though instead of being bombarded with more disgusting pollen, she was quickly filled with the scent of trees and grass. And Tager.

It was a strange scent she'd grown accustomed to. Smelled of oil. Metal. And the barest hint of his natural male scent that still clung to his mechanized body. A mere whiff sparked plenty of memories to life. Information, data, images flicking through the back of her calculating brain. She'd been exposed to it so much she could almost smell his essence. Read his thoughts, and accurately pin-point his mood. On the rare times Tager had gotten angry, the manly scent hidden underneath the metallic would get stronger. More potent. And when he was excited or happy, the humming scent of his oily blood seemed warmer. It pleased her senses every time. Even if she was having the crappiest day, this was one thing she could count on. The way his presence seemed to calm everything. Just like with science, Tager was ever stable. Never changing. Always so…right.

Could that have been why she spent so much time checking up on him, despite his consistency? Just so she could spend some time around the man? He didn't seem to mind being around her. He didn't flinch when she looked at him, not even when she glared. It was always the same empty stare, hidden behind glasses that seemed almost too small for his face. He didn't even smile. But then again, she wasn't prone to such a pointless expression either. And when she was upset with something, he would always be there to listen without interruption. Giving his opinion on occasion, even if it was rather biased. Since he tended to think whatever she said or did was right. Still. Isn't everyone entitled to some form of contentment in their life? Was Kokonoe's contentment in the form on this man in front of her? This man she treated as nothing more than a disposable tool, to be used until he was broken and tossed aside? No, that was a silly thought. Tager couldn't be broken. He was her prized possession after all. She wouldn't give up on him even if he broke down.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to sit?" Tager's curious yet bland tone snapped her attention back to him, and managed to startle her enough that she looked back to him, eyes wide. How long had she been standing there? How embarrassing.

"Yeah… whatever. Just this once…." She grumbled through her teeth, cutting her hardened gaze to the grass as she shifted over a few steps and dropped herself beside his massive leg. Facing the sun once more, Kokonoe kept her eyes down and sighed, letting the silence once again drag on. The setting sun had begun to glow an orange tint the lower it got on the horizon, but it continued to warm the two of them. Assuming Tager had body temperature that warmed and cooled with the atmosphere. Yet as it got closer to disappearing, the constant breeze seemed to get cooler as well. Creating an odd back and forth switch between warm and cold. The sensation caused Kokonoe to shiver faintly. Damnit, why won't the sun just set so she could get back inside already? Just as she seemed ready to complain, her ears perked toward the sound of Tager's massive arm moving from behind her. She was never threatened by him, so she hadn't even flinched when a couple of over-sized fingers came out from behind her and eased her back against the man behind her.

A bit startled, Kokonoe's twin-tails flickered a bit as she leaned awkwardly against his hard side, surprisingly warm. Able to feel a slight rise and fall that had to be his breathing. When she tensed up, Tager seemed to feel it, despite his size. Before she even had a chance to feel uneasy, the man spoke up behind her.

"You seem cold, Kokonoe. I beg your forgiveness for letting you stay out so long. The cold doesn't affect me as much as someone your size. If you'd like to turn in, I would understand."

Kokonoe scowled at her feet, one of which having lost its shoe when she had shifted to lean against him. She watched as her small toes tickled through the impossibly soft grass, pressing down to feel its coolness against the sole of her foot. It wasn't so bad, maybe a little cold. But it had to have been ages since she was barefoot in grass. She used to go barefoot every day. But the cold metal floors of her labs got pretty uncomfortable after a while. If it were all grass, then maybe she wouldn't need shoes anymore. But how weird would it be to have grass floor in a laboratory? Okay, so it wasn't a good idea after all. But carpet would be just as good, wouldn't it?

"Kokonoe?" Tager rumbled curiously, once again snapping Kokonoe from her thoughts. Sheesh, what was with her today? She didn't usually make a habit of drowning in weird thoughts.

"It's fine, Tager." Kokonoe mumbled quietly, flicking her toes out from the grass. After a moment of silence, she relaxed against him. Gently easing her other foot from its shoe. Tager seemed pleased by her acceptance, and also seemed to relax behind her, if that was even possible. Taking a deep inhale through her nose, Kokonoe allowed Tager's scent to soften her once more. Her usual perma-scowl fading to a simple stare at the darkening sky. Tilting her head back until she felt the back of her head rest against Tager's side. Listening to him breathe quietly behind her. At one point she felt him shift again, but this was apparently just so he could rest his massive arm at Kokonoe's side. The slight gesture seeming to surround her with his presence. But something else perked through her awareness. She lifted her head to stare at the arm. Wasn't that the arm that she… Experimentally, Kokonoe reached out to poke a slim finger onto one of the red adornments on his mechanical arm. It went inward easily, pressing inside the encasement of his arm. Immediately, a small compartment opened underneath the button with a soft hiss of air pressure. The smallest of smiles graced her, and she reached inside to retrieve one of her candies, fresh and unwrapped. With a quick flick of her pinky, she closed the compartment after palming the candy. Tager was obviously paying attention, for he quietly harrumphed behind her, though didn't bother to move his arm after she was finished. Kokonoe dropped her head back against him and tucked the lollipop into her mouth, compressing her cheeks around it in a savoring suckle. The cool breeze once again washed over them, shifting Kokonoe's bangs across her forehead as she relaxed into Tager. Eyes finally drifting closed.

"I need to stop falling asleep around you…" Tager grumbled, undoubtedly eyeing his arm that had produced her favorite candies. Kokonoe only snickered, sliding the hard blue-tinted candy back onto her tongue; closing her mouth around it. Things seemed comfortably quiet now. The silence punctuated by soft suckling noises from Kokonoe, and the surprisingly gentle breathing from Tager. Maybe sitting around outside wasn't so bad after all. It almost felt like a master relaxing with his prized pet. Kokonoe could picture it in her mind. And old man lounging beside an enormous sheepdog, watching the sunset together. Of course she was the old man in this case. She behaved as such, anyways.

Tager didn't speak anymore, either trapped in his own thought process or not willing to speak out until spoken to. Not that Kokonoe would've minded. It wasn't like Tager never had anything interesting to say. Quite the contrary, she enjoyed his opinion on some things. He had a strange straight-forward idea toward life, ever since she'd first worked on him. Sure, he had his own brand of emotions, thinking process unlike her own, and over the years he'd developed his own personality as well. It was always interesting to see and hear the changes in him. She wondered how he really thought of her. Not just as his boss, but as a person. Did he have good memories of her? Or was his mind riddled with terrifying thoughts about her and all that she'd done to him? Such information was useless, but she was still allowed the curiosity. When Tager quietly chuckled, Kokonoe had to resist the urge to ask if he had once again read her mind. Not that it was possible. But he always seemed to know what she was thinking.

"If that head of yours keeps buzzing, you'll wake up the cicadas." He commented. An odd thing to say, Kokonoe mused, eyes opening to stare at the blue sky, which had faded to a dull blue. The sun was completely gone now, and only a dim haze of red and orange coated the horizon and tinted the stray clouds in the sky. She smiled again, letting them drift closed again. Stupid Tager. Kokonoe's shoulders shifted a bit so she could settle into his side more comfortably.

"We're still going to have your check-up when we get back you know…" Kokonoe mumbled, though she knew he could hear her. She could be on the other side of the earth and Tager would hear her and come running. Her loyal pet. Her sole stability in this unsure world. She hummed in contentment, a smile clear in Tager's tone as he replied to her,

"Yes ma'am."


End file.
